Notice of Intent To Prepare a Resource Management Plan and Associated Environmental Impact Statement for the Browns Canyon National Monument, Colorado
| Published date | 14 May 2019 |
| Citation | 84 FR 21352 |
| Record Number | 2019-09837 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | Land Management Bureau |
Federal Register, Volume 84 Issue 93 (Tuesday, May 14, 2019)
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 93 (Tuesday, May 14, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21352-21353]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-09837]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLCOF02400.L16100000. LXSSC0100000.DO0000.19X]
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Resource Management Plan and
Associated Environmental Impact Statement for the Browns Canyon
National Monument, Colorado
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (NEPA); the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of
1976, as amended (FLPMA); and the National Forest Management Act of
1976, as amended (NFMA); the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Royal
Gorge Field Office (RGFO), Ca[ntilde]on City, Colorado and U.S. Forest
Service (USFS), Pike-San Isabel National Forests and Comanche-Cimarron
National Grasslands (PSICC), Pueblo, Colorado, intend to prepare a
joint Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Forest Plan (FP) amendment,
supported by an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), for the Browns
Canyon National Monument (BCNM). This notice announces the public
scoping process to solicit comments and identify issues for BLM and
USFS consideration in the EIS. The management plan will revise a
portion of the existing Royal Gorge RMP and amend the Pike-San Isabel
National Forests and Comanche-Cimarron National Grasslands FP.
DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the RMP-FP
and EIS. Comments on issues may be submitted in writing until June 13,
2019. The date(s) and location(s) of any scoping meetings will be
announced at least 15 days in advance through local media, newspapers
and the BLM website at: https://go.usa.gov/xn2eC. In order to be
considered in the Draft EIS, all comments must be received prior to the
close of the 30-day scoping period or 15 days after the last public
meeting, whichever is later. The BLM and USFS will provide additional
opportunities for public participation upon publication of the Draft
EIS.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria
related to the BCNM RMP-FP and EIS by the following methods:
Electronically via the BLM ePlanning website: https://go.usa.gov/xn2eC
Hard copy via mail to: BCNM RMP/EIS, 5575 Cleora Road, Salida,
CO 81201
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the RGFO,
3028 E. Main St., Ca[ntilde]on City, Colorado 81212, at the PSICC
Salida Ranger District, 5575 Cleora Road, Salida, CO 81201, or on the
BLM ePlanning website at https://go.usa.gov/xn2eC.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joseph Vieira, Project Manager,
telephone 719-246-9966; address 5575 Cleora Road, Salida, Colorado
81201; email [email protected]. Contact Mr. Vieira at
[email protected] to add your name to our mailing list.
Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call
the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above
individual during normal business hours. The FRS is available 24 hours
a day, seven days a week, to leave a message or question with the above
individual. You will receive a reply during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document provides notice that the BLM
RGFO and USFS PSICC intend to prepare a joint RMP/FP and EIS for the
BCNM, announces and initiates the public scoping process, and seeks
public input on issues and planning criteria. The USFS published a
Notice of Intent to begin the Plan Assessment Phase of its planning
process on April
[[Page 21353]]
17, 2017, consistent with 36 CFR 219 Subpart B. The planning area is
located in Chaffee County, Colorado and encompasses approximately
21,600 acres (9,790 acres on BLM and 11,810 acres on USFS) of public
land and national forest. The purpose of the public scoping process is
to determine relevant issues that will influence the scope of the
environmental analysis, develop alternatives and guide the planning
process. Preliminary issues for the planning area have been identified
by the BLM and USFS personnel; Federal, State, and local agencies; and
other stakeholders. The issues include: Managing for sustainable
outdoor recreation, visitor growth and visitor enjoyment; conserving
and protecting monument resources and objects or values including
bighorn sheep, peregrine falcon, terrestrial and avian wildlife
habitat, cultural and historical resources, geological features and
riparian values; understanding and addressing tribal values; and
addressing existing uses such as livestock grazing. Preliminary
planning criteria include: Compliance with FLPMA, NFMA, NEPA, and other
applicable laws and regulations; consultation and coordination with
Native American Tribes with due consideration to Tribal concerns;
incorporate the BLM Colorado Standards for Public Land Health and USFS
planning criteria; management decision consistency across agency
boundaries within the BCNM and with other contiguous public lands;
continue managing Wilderness Study Areas under the Interim Management
Policy for Lands under Wilderness Review until Congress acts on a
designation or releases lands from consideration; recognize valid
existing land-use and ownership rights; include adaptive management
criteria to explore alternative ways to meet future management
objectives; comply with existing plans and policies of adjacent local,
State, Federal agencies and local Native American Tribes to the extent
practicable; and use the best available scientific information and
research where practicable for the planning effort.
The BLM and USFS will evaluate identified issues to be addressed in
the plan, and will place them into one of three categories:
1. Issues to be resolved in the plan;
2. Issues to be resolved through policy or administrative action;
or
3. Issues beyond the scope of this plan.
The BLM and USFS will provide an explanation in the Draft RMP-FP
and Draft EIS as to why an issue was placed in category two or three.
The public is encouraged to help identify any management questions and
concerns that should be addressed in the plan. The BLM and USFS will
work collaboratively with interested parties to identify management
decisions best suited to local, regional, and national needs and
concerns. The BLM and USFS use and coordinate the NEPA scoping process
to help fulfill the public involvement process under the National
Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108) as provided in 36 CFR
800.2(d)(3). The information about historic and cultural resources
within the area potentially affected by the proposed action will assist
the BLM and USFS in identifying and evaluating impacts to such
resources.
The BLM and USFS will consult with Native American Tribes on a
government-to-government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175
and other policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts on Native
American trust assets and potential impacts to cultural resources, will
be given due consideration. Federal, State, and local agencies, along
with Tribes and other stakeholders that may be interested in or
affected by the proposed action that the BLM and USFS are evaluating,
are invited to participate in the scoping process and, if eligible, may
request or may be requested by the BLM and USFS to participate in the
development of the environmental analysis as a cooperating agency. The
BLM and USFS will use a joint interdisciplinary approach to develop the
plan in order to consider the variety of resource issues and concerns
identified. Specialists with expertise in the following disciplines
will be involved in the planning process: Outdoor recreation, wildlife
and fisheries, threatened and endangered species; vegetation; invasive
and noxious weeds; rangeland management; forestry; soils; hydrology;
riparian systems; cultural resources and Native American interests;
minerals and geology; fire ecology and management; paleontology; lands
and realty; sociology and economics; visual resource management; law
enforcement; and geographic information systems.
You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria in writing
to the BLM at any public scoping meeting, or you may submit them to the
BLM using one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section above. To
be most helpful, you should submit comments by the close of the 30-day
scoping period or within 15 days after the last public meeting,
whichever is later.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7, 43 CFR 1610.2.
Jamie E. Connell,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2019-09837 Filed 5-13-19; 8:45 am]
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